Chapter 58 · Human Hunting (8)

“We’re going hunting. Human hunting.”

“Whaaat?”

“Each of you, bring your ear close, one at a time.”

Because I was so short, they all had to get down on their knees. After hearing my command, they all looked bewildered.

“This isn’t a common wild grass, but it’s also not a grass that’s been proven to have any special efficacy.”

Melvian said hesitantly.

“Not every grass in the world has had its value discovered since the beginning of time.”

When I answered leisurely, they all looked unconvinced as they hid the small bottle in their pockets.

All of us students, myself included, had thrown off the uniforms dripping with expensive lace and changed into light hunting suits. I didn’t have one in my size, so I wore a loose tunic with leggings underneath, and my hair tied up neatly.

But this outfit must have stimulated something in Mila, because she hadn’t been able to take her eyes off me since a while ago.

“Mila, is there something on my face?”

“No… it’s not that…”

She trembled all over for a moment, then lunged at me.

“You’re so cuuute! Kya! Isn’t the princess seriously just too cute?! How can this tiny tunic look so big on you!”

Mila lifted me up and rubbed her face all over my plump cheeks.

Khh. I hadn’t known there was no hunting outfit in my size either! My pride was a little wounded, but she was so happy about it that… well… Mila really can’t resist anything cute.

Actually, I hadn’t planned to involve Mila. But over the past few weeks, just as I’d expected, the noble clique had bullied Mila. Mila’s father was a businessman with a foothold all over noble society, and those petty creatures had clung to business issues, picking fights and giving Mila threatening warnings. So I wanted to give her a chance for revenge as well.

“Now, everyone. From now on, I will explain the rules.”

Dean Roktania spoke in a ringing voice, using a sound amplification spell.

“As many of you know, this exam offers a chance for promotion. The student with the highest score in each year can become this year’s year president.”

I could see Giselle exchanging looks with her fellow students far off.

“Small animals are three points, medium animals five points, large animals ten points, and the members of the team with the highest combined score in each year will receive fifty points as a bonus.”

The bonus was larger than I expected. That meant being assigned to a good team would be key as well…

“After you hunt an animal, you stick the marker we’re handing out now into it, and throw it into one of the portals located throughout the grounds.”

A portal, pre-installed using a powerful magical tool, rippled before Dean Roktania.

“And you must only throw animals into the portal. It doesn’t matter if something has no mana, but we don’t know what effect it might have if those of you with mana enter it.”

Something about his words was a little eerie.

“Do we really have to k-kill the animals? Without even a proper weapon?”

A girl who still looked like a new student asked with a horrified face.

“Yes. It is a ‘hunting’ competition, after all. Not a catching competition. And your weapon is your magic skill, students.”

At Dean Roktania’s cold answer, the girl hung her head helplessly. Many students stirred. Most had grown up pampered and had probably never even caught a bug, let alone hunted.

“What if we’re attacked by an animal?”

“If it is judged that you can no longer continue the competition, you may request rescue with your communication stone. Of course, the moment you use the communication stone, you are disqualified.”

At the thought that they could be attacked by animals, many students’ faces went pale.

“Why a hunting competition of all things? Why not the practical exam like every other year…”

Some students grumbled openly.

“When war comes, royal mages are deployed in addition to Dinitas and Veritas.”

Dean Roktania looked at the student with stern eyes.

“But unlike knights who have undergone countless joint trainings, mages lack real combat experience and teamwork. This exam is to prepare for that.”

The grumbling student looked embarrassed and clamped his mouth shut.

“Now, then, I will announce the team assignments.”

The professors handed out markers with each student’s name and team assignment sheets. Each team had a mix of beginner, intermediate, and advanced students. But the moment I checked my team, I almost laughed out loud.

“Heh heh…”

Freesia, Melvian, Mila, and I were on the same team. There were also two intermediate students I didn’t know and two beginner students on the same team.

Only Ark was on Giselle’s team. Checking Giselle’s team, it was full of familiar, unpleasant names. Stella’s clique was included.

‘Professor Caesar must have had a hand in this.’

What was even the point of dividing teams like this? At the very least, it would be unreasonable to test spontaneous teamwork. They had already been tightly united for a long time! Anyway, they would regret packing us into one team, you fools.

“Now, please gather by team.”

Ark frowned at first, but soon winked at me and headed to his team. And while everyone was bustling to gather by team, we began our operation.

“Exsúfflo.”

When I used wind magic, the pintac powder in the glass bottle instantly rode the wind and flew toward the targets. I focused all my attention on making sure plenty of it flew toward the humans who had especially tormented Freesia. I kept at it until the glass bottle was empty, but because the powder was colorless and odorless, no one seemed to notice.

Melvian, Freesia, Mila, and I gathered in one place and exchanged meaningful looks.

“Um… hello, Princess Anastasia.”

“Hello.”

Two intermediate boys with insolent attitudes and one beginner girl who was clearly terrified were waiting for us.

“Can a small person like the princess even hunt?”

“If you get hurt by mistake, aren’t we the ones who suffer?”

The intermediate boys grumbled discontentedly.

Oh ho, these brats? In my heart I wanted to sprinkle a whole jar of pintac powder on them, but since we were on the same team, I held back.

“Listen carefully. Our team motto is ‘Survive on your own.’”

“…What?”

“Whether you get hurt, faint, or die, it’s each person’s own responsibility. For now, I’m not going to help anyone.”

“…”

The students looked at me as if dumbfounded. It couldn’t be helped. According to Sir Ryan Shurk’s ‘Human Psychology,’ the performance of a spontaneously formed group is the worst. He had studied teamwork for a long time and even left behind the famous saying, ‘Being together was disgusting, let’s never meet again.’

So aside from the three whose minds were already somewhat in sync with mine, I couldn’t carry you lot along.

“Now, then, let’s begin!”

The moment the professors who had come along waved the flag, the students rushed into the forest in a swarm.

‘In the end, Paeon didn’t come.’

Tsk, making such a fuss when he wasn’t even going to follow me.

I hurried into the forest on my short legs. But Ark, who had been far off, came hopping toward me.

“Awk, you’we on ouw team!”

Giselle shrieked, but Ark shouted back with a slick attitude.

“Do we have to hunt in groups? I’m good at solo play, you see.”

“You, did you forget what I told you?!”

Ark’s face stiffened for a moment, but he ignored her and strode over.

“First, we need to find game…”

With this many students rustling around, there was no way game would be easy to find.

“What should we do? Should we split up for now?”

Melvian asked, looking around. I smiled triumphantly and quickly summoned Nine.

“I learned something recently…”

Before I could even finish, Nine darted off like an arrow deeper into the forest.

“Nine is a master at tracking scents!”

Whether it really had a blood-drinking ability, whenever I summoned it at the training grounds it would disappear somewhere and often ended up chasing mice. Though it was still too small to actually hunt.

As I hurried after Nine, someone shouted sharply.

“That’s cheating!”

It was the dirty-blond boy who often hung around Giselle. Frederick, was it?

“Cheating?”

“What kind of magic test allows the use of divine power?!”

“There was no rule saying I couldn’t use divine power, was there?”

He glared at me as if dumbfounded.

“I’m going to tell the judges.”

“Then go ahead and use your communication stone. The moment you use it, you’re disqualified.”

“…”

Left speechless, he suddenly recited an activation word.

“Flamma globus!”

Fwoosh. A sphere of flame flew toward Nine, but fortunately it missed. The moment Ark saw it, he lunged at him.

“You insane bastard…!”

“Dodge, Awk!”

“?!”

Boom!

I had already used powerful wind magic to send that fireball back toward Frederick. The fireball struck the rock right behind him and exploded. The dirty-blond boy, hit directly by the flying stone fragments, collapsed to the ground and groaned.

“Kuh…!”

“Attacking a divine beast is the same as attacking me. You must have been prepared to be attacked in return, right?”

Frederick, bleeding from the back of his head, glared at me.

“Princess, we have to make that bastard forfeit! And he needs to be punished right now!”

“Enough. Using the communication stone would only hurt us. Let’s not waste time and go.”

I pulled Ark, who was trembling with rage, and hurried toward where Nine had gone. After walking for a few minutes, the area became secluded. And I heard a rustle.

“Ballísta!”

The moment I dispelled Nine, I recited the activation word. An arrow of condensed mana flew swiftly toward the sound, and I heard something thud to the ground.

“It’s a squirrel.”

I said flatly as I parted the bushes, and Mila shuddered and whined.

“Euu… How can someone so cute kill such a cute animal and be so unaffected…”

“So is Mila not going to do it?”

At that, Mila spoke with teary eyes.

“No, I can’t be a burden to the princess.”

Hmm, would she be all right…? Wouldn’t Mila get trauma from this…?

My worry was unfounded. Mila wasn’t in the advanced class for nothing. Her lightning magic was overwhelming.

“Fulgétra!”

Several animals instantly collapsed from the lightning she accurately shot out.

“Ahh, I’m sorry! Animal friends! I’m sorry for roasting you!”

“…Please don’t apologize, Mila. It’s scary.”

After catching several small animals, about an hour seemed to have passed. Medium animals like deer weren’t easy to spot.

‘Anyway, it’s about time the reactions start coming in…’

Soon, screams began to rise from here and there.

“Aaaagh!”

“Kyaaa!”

“Aaaah!”

Ark, Melvian, and Freesia, who had been following me, all turned to look at me at the same time. I smiled at them.

‘Bingo.’

It seemed their hunt had begun.